Turkish Bulb Trade (BULB)

     CASE NUMBER:   180
     CASE MNEMONIC: BULB
     CASE NAME:     WlLD BULB COLLECTION IN TURKEY

I. IDENTIFICATION

1. The Issue

In 1985, plant experts were astounded to learn that an extremely
rare flower, scientifically called Cyclamen mirabile, was turning
up in Great Britain in large quantities.  First discovered in
1905, this flower was last seen in the 1960s in a tiny area of
southeastern Turkey and was thought to have been completely
eradicated through over-cultivation. The subsequent rediscovery
of this rare cyclamen spurred conservationists to investigate the
wild flower bulb trade. 

2. Description

In 1987, the Flora and Fauna Preservation Society (FFPS), with
the support of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), launched an
operation to investigate the trade in wild bulbs. The study
revealed that cyclamen -- as well as other Turkish flowers --
were being uprooted to supply the growing European bulb market. 
Many of these bulbs, marked as "nursery-grown from the
Netherlands" actually came from the hillsides of Turkey and
Greece and were shipped to the Netherlands for resale.

Plant trade experts report that the volume of collecting in
Turkey threatens some of the country's wild flowering cyclamen
species, especially the rare, endemic eirabile. In 1983, Turkey
exported five million cyclamen tubers, nearly half of which went
to the Netherlands. Other major destinations for Turkish bulbs
include Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In 1983, Turkey banned the export of five endemic cyclamen
species, including cyclamen mirabile, but enforcing this ban is
extremely difficult. During cultivation it is difficult to
categorize plant types and often rare Turkish bulbs are
mistakenly collected and shipped as more common species.  All
cyclamen species are on Appendix II of the Convention of
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES), which means their trade should be carefully monitored
and should comply with CITES permit requirements. Until 1992,
however, Turkey was not a party to the convention. When
announcing their intention to become a member of CITES, the
Turkish government provided assurance that the trade in wild
bulbs would be fully controlled and monitored. 

Collection of wild bulbs from Turkey has been taking place on a
large scale for hundreds of years. Turkey has a very rich and
varied plant life which includes plants found nowhere else in the
world. However, Turkey failed to recognize the economic and
commercial potential of their flowers. In the seventeenth
century, Amsterdam was the site of a lively market in tulip
bulbs. Rare bulbs sold for a fortune, up to $50,000 spiece, in
today's money.  By 1686, the rapid increases in rare bulbs
attracted speculators, leading to further increases in prices
between November and the following January.  This period of
irrational investing and trading became known as "tulipmania." In
February of the same year, however, prices in the bulb market
collapsed to less than one-tenth of peak levels, with economic
reverberations felt throughout Europe.

Turkey is one of the largest global exporters of wild bulbs in
recent years.  For example, in 1989, approximately 69 million
bulbs were exported from Turkey. These numbers have since been
reduced due mainly to quotas set by the Turkish Government.

In 1991, 50 million bulbs were exported; of these 1.5 million
were the cyclamen species.  The decreased export of flower
bulbs are a direct result of the quota system established by the
Turkish government. 

3. Related Cases 

See PLANT Case

 Keyword Clusters
 (1): Trade Product =  BULB
 (2) Bio-Geography =   ASIA
 (3) Environmental Problem = Species Loss Land [SPLL]

4. Draft Author: Barbara L. Taylor

II. LEGAL Filters

5. Discourse and Status: DISagreement and INCOMPlete

The wild bulb collection case is primarily a disagreement between
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and many of the members of
CITES. The plant species in Appendix II of CITES are not
considered endangered, however, if they are not sustainably
collected, their decline will upset the balance of the whole
biological system.  All plant life is part of a larger ecosystem. 
By eradicating a species of flower, serious environmental etfects
could take place. Further, the collection of flower bulbs is a
source of income for poor people living in rural areas of Turkey.
If  the bulbs are not sustainably collected and they disappear,
these people will lose their source of income.

The permit system in place under Appendix II is difficult to
monitor effectively.  The FFPS as well as other NGOs are
concerned about the number of gardeners using wild-collected
bulbs.  Over the last twenty years increased numbers of
previously unknown flowers have been discovered, creating a huge
demand for unusual and rare flowers, thus perpetuating the trade
in wild bulbs.  There is a call for plant dealers in
 the United States to enact a bulb labeling system similar to
that of the Netherlands so that consumers can make informed
choices about the bulbs they purchase.

6. Forum and Scope: CITES and MULTllateral

The Forum is the 1973 Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species, more specifically Appendix II. Through its
Appendix II listings, CITES regulates commerce in wildlife that
is not threatened with extinction but may become so if trade is
not controlled.  CITES permits commercial trade in the species
listed in the appendix, provided that the country of origin or
country of re-export has issued an export permit or re-export
certificate. Cyclamen species have been listed on the appendix
since 1975. Cyclamen was also given special consideration in the
European Community (EC) legislation which implemented CITES in
the EC. The scope of the case is multilateral.

7. Decision Breadth: 107 (CITES signatories) 

Each of the signing members of CITES is responsible for
administering the permit system for wildlife in Appendix II.
Turkey became a member of CITES in 1992, increasing the degree to
which the trade in wild bulbs are monitored and controlled.
However, Spain and Portugal, two important countries involved in
the wild bulb trade have not adequately protected their native
bulb flora.

8. Legal Standing: TREATY

III. GEOGRAPHIC Filters

9. Geographic Locations

 a. Continental Domain: MIDEAST
 b. Geographic Site : NMID
 c. Geographic Impact: TURKEY

The majority of the bulbs are uprooted in the Middle East, the
continental domain of this case. The conflict between trade and
the environment is occurring in Turkey, which is where the
greatest impact takes place.

10. Sub-National Factors: NO

11. Type of Habitat: TEMP

IV. TRADE Filters

12. Type of Measure: QUOTA 

The Turkish government has an export quota on wild-collected
bulbs to provide for their sustainable collection. Cyclamen
mirabile is banned from export in Turkey.  The Netherlands has
also taken the issue of sustainable development of trade
seriously and in 1990 introduced the following measures: 1) all
wild bulbs marketed from Holland are now labeled "Bulbs from wild
source", 2) the imports of wild species from Turkey are now more
fully monitored, and 3) efforts have been introduced to stimulate
the trade in Turkey to replace wild collection with
cultivation.

13. Direct vs. Indirect Impacts: DIRect

The wild bulb collection case is an example of a direct impact.
The Turkish government has implemented export quotas to control
wild bulb collection and export. These quotas limit the number of
bulbs reaching markets in the Netherlands, United States and
Europe. Further, increased monitoring by the Netherlands will
impact the availability of rare plants for the gardening and
craft industry. 

14. Relation of Trade Measure to Resource Impact
 a. Directly Related : YES BULB
 b. Indirectly Related : YES CRAFT
 c. Not Related : NO
 d. Process Related : Species Lost Land [SPLL

15. Trade Product Identification: BULBS
16. Economic Data
17. Impact of Measure on Trade Competitiveness: QUOTA
18. Industry Sector: AGRlculture
19. Exporter and Importer: TURKEY and NETHERLANDS

Turkey is the largest exporter of wild collected bulbs to the
Dutch packaging industry.  The Netherlands are considered the
center of the flower bulb industry and are the largest importer
of wild collected Turkish bulbs. Many of these bulbs are then
re-exported to Europe and the United States.  Before legislation
was enacted, the Netherlands did not have to indicate the source
of the bulb on its packaging. 

V. ENVTRONMENT Filters

20. Environmental Problem Type: Species Loss Land [SPLL]

21. Name, Type and Diversity of Species
 Name: Cyclamen
 Type: Plant
 Diversity: All Species

22. Resource Impact and Effect: MEDium
Turkish villagers in the Anatolian hillsides are responsible for
the majority of wild bulb collection. These villagers are
organized by the primary exporters of bulbs -- Netherlands,
Europe and United States-- to dig up bulbs when they are in
flower.  At this time in their growth cycle the flowers are most
visible and easily identifiable.  However, this is also the most
damaging time for plants, as the bulbs have not started
to seed.  This means that the plants are unable to spread
their seeds to ensure future growth of flowers.

Villagers earn income from collecting flower bulbs. However, the
reduction of flowers such as the cyclamen threaten this source of
income. Over-collection has forced villagers to travel longer
distances to collect smaller amounts of bulbs. Solutions to this
problem point to cultivation. Bulb cultivation would not only
protect the wild bulbs but would also benefit exporters and the
villagers themselves. 

Cultivated bulbs are often healthier and better quality and
village communities would have a steady source of income. 24.
Urgency and 

23.  Urgency and Lifetime

Bulbs listed under Appendix II in CITES are not considered to be
in danger of extinction. However, if action is not taken to make
collection more sustainable, then many important species will be
lost. Dozens of wild bulb species are threatened by
over-exploitation as well as other external threats. 

24. Substitutes: Cultivated Plants 

In 1991, Turkey and the Netherlands launched a joint bulb
propagation project to help preserve exploited species of flower
bulbs.  Cultivated bulbs have many advantages over those
collected in the wild. The cultivated plant is likely to be
healthier and free from disease and pests. These plants can be
raised in conditions that are environmentally safe and provide a
renewable, steady supply of bulbs for trade. 

A joint project sponsored by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
and administered by the Flora and Fauna Preservation Society
(FFPS) and the Turkish Society for the Protection of Nature
(DHKD) is seeking to control the trade in wild bulbs. Known as
the "Indigenous Propagation Project", the participating
organizations are targeting Turkish exporters.  Their aim is
to encourage exporters to grow their own plants rather than
collect those in the wild. 

VI. OTHER Factors 

25. Culture: YES 

The gardening community demands plants that are beautiful,
healthy and unique. Cultivated plants provide these attributes,
but propagation projects are expensive and time-consuming. These
factors, along with the need of local people for the supplemental
income from wild plants, contribute to the presence of wild bulbs
in trade.  Additionally, consumers lack information about where
or how their bulbs are collected. The lack of information about
the source of plants in trade is the most significant obstacle in
addressing the issue of wild collection.  Consumers cannot
make informed and ethical decisions about their gardening if they
cannot ascertain the source of plants in trade. 

26. Human Rights: YES 

Collection of wild bulbs has been a significant source of income
for villagers in rural areas of Turkey.  Eliminating the trade in
flower bulbs could harm their ability to maintain their families.
Sustainable methods of collecting and bulb propagation will help
to ensure a constant source of bulbs for trade. 

27. Trans-Border: NO

28. Relevant Literature 

"Bursting Bubbles." Economist 332.875 (1994): 64.

"Controlling the Turkish Bulb Trade." Middle East 209 (1992): 50.


"Endangered Species." Flower and Garden 33.5 (1989): 33. 

Fitzgerald, Sarah. International Wildlife Trade: Whose Business
Is It? Washington, D.C.: World Wildlife Fund, 1989. 

"Holland, Turkey to Cooperate in Wild Bulb Propagation Project.
"PR Newswire (11 June 1991). 

Marshall, Nina T. "Wild Plants in Trade: Time to Take Action."
Journal of the National Wildflower Research Centre 6.2 (1993): 6-
12. 

McGough, H.N., et al. "The Conservation and Cultivation of
Geophytes in Turkey." The Report of the Second European Community
Fact Finding Mission to Turkey, 1993. 

"Plan to Resolve 'Wild Bulb' Problem Accepted at Multi-Country
Meeting; Turkey Reveals Intent to Join CITES. " PR Newswire
(February 12,1992). 

Read, Mike. Grown in Holland? Washillgton, D.C.: World Wildlife
Fund and Flora and Fauna Preservation Society, 1989. 

West, Dana Lauren. "Wrap-up of the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species." BioScience 40.2 (February 1990):
90. 

Zalewski, Sally. "Uncovering the Turkish Bulb Connection. " WWF
Features 22 (1993): 1-4.